#FARM24

Today is #Farm24 – a day to celebrate British farming and give a voice to the people behind the food we eat. But this year, amidst the tractor selfies, combine videos, and cheerful updates from the field we will see on our socials, we want to highlight what is happening in those small dark hours on farms that aren't being talked about enough.

So, we’re pausing to share something a little different.

Over the past few months, we asked over 2,000 farmers: What keeps you awake at night?

Their responses – raw, thoughtful, and deeply human – reveal the pressure points of modern farming. From policy uncertainty to mental health, from climate extremes to financial strain, the answers paint a vivid picture of what it means to farm in the UK today.

We’ve chosen 24 comments to mark Farm24 – one for every hour that farmers work, worry, and persevere.

Each is anonymous, but each is real. Together, they tell a collective story of a sector caught between resilience and exhaustion, innovation and instability.

1

“The UK government have become totalitarian dictators. Our industry is being overregulated into extinction.”📍 West Midlands👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner, Contractor, Diversification⏳ 20–30 years

2

“The country is going to run out of food. It takes one season of failed harvests, and we will be in big trouble. I care deeply about how we grow food, how we look after animals and land, and how we make it pay. But I’m not sure people outside farming understand how close to the edge this feels.”📍 North West👨‍🌾 Tenant Farmer, Consultant, Advisor, Estate Manager⏳ 10–20 years

3

“I fear that the gap between non-farming folk and farmers is getting wider and wider. It’s not just about food – it’s about respect, understanding, and trust.”📍 South West👨‍🌾 Other (please specify)⏳ <5 years

4

“Staff, Health and Safety, and very insecure milk prices. All of it makes you feel helpless sometimes.”📍 Scotland👨‍🌾 Tenant Farmer⏳ 30 years+

5

“So much. Where to start. I’ll break it into 3 am thoughts, 4 am thoughts, 5 am thoughts...”📍 Scotland👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner, Farm worker⏳ 20–30 years

6

“The repeated attacks on farming as an industry by politicians, the media and sometimes even our customers – it’s draining.”📍 East Midlands👨‍🌾 Mixed tenant and owner farmer, Diversification⏳ 30 years+

7

“Dairy farmer, been down with TB with a massive loss of income. Constant worry. So many rules. Never-ending stress.”📍 South West👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 30 years+

8

“IHT – the burden these new changes have on family farms is enormous. Makes it feel impossible to hand things on.”📍 Scotland👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner, Diversification⏳ 10–20 years

9

“The thing which even outstrips markets, yields or prices for me is staff – how to find, train, keep good people.”📍 East of England👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 5–10 years

10

“If I accept man-made emissions have significant effects, I can also accept that we’re doing a terrible job of reducing them. But blaming farming – and ignoring the data – is both lazy and dangerous.”📍 Yorkshire and the Humber👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 30 years+

11

“I can't sleep for thinking about how hard it is for young people to enter farming. We say we want the next generation – but do we really make space for them?”📍 North East👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 10–20 years

12

“I want to invest, I want to do things better. But with all the volatility and change, how can anyone plan long term?”📍 East of England👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner, Contractor⏳ 20–30 years

13

“We are worn out. Not just physically, but emotionally. The fear of getting it wrong is ever-present.”📍 Wales👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner, Relation to the farmer⏳ 30 years+

14

“All the talk of carbon and net zero, yet no recognition of what we’re already doing. The goalposts keep shifting.”📍 East Midlands👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 10–20 years

15

“Government schemes are so convoluted now that they feel like traps rather than support. No wonder people are opting out.”📍 South East👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 5–10 years

16

“I lie awake worrying about how to make everything work. There’s no one big thing, just lots of little weights adding up.”📍 North West👨‍🌾 Mixed tenant and owner farmer⏳ 30 years+

17

“It’s becoming harder to feel proud of being a farmer when it feels like we’re always being blamed, never supported.”📍 South West👨‍🌾 Farm worker, Relation to the farmer⏳ 20–30 years

18

“Mental health support in agriculture has improved, but the pressure hasn’t gone away. In fact, I think it’s worse.”📍 Scotland👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 20–30 years

19

“Everything has become a risk: weather, disease, markets, policy. We are constantly firefighting.”📍 Wales👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 20–30 years

20

“We are undervalued. If food matters – if soil, water, and climate matter – then so do we.”📍 East of England👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 10–20 years

21

“I have two young children and I’m honestly not sure if I want them to inherit the farm. That breaks my heart.”📍 Yorkshire and the Humber👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 10–20 years

22

“All we want is a fair return for what we do. It shouldn’t be too much to ask.”📍 South East👨‍🌾 Tenant Farmer⏳ 5–10 years

23

“I’m proud to be a farmer, but I’m tired. The public thanks us once a year. The rest of the time, we’re ignored or criticised.”📍 East of England👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner, Diversification⏳ 20–30 years

24

“I’m awake at night wondering if I should sell up. That thought never used to cross my mind.”📍 South West👨‍🌾 Farmer Owner⏳ 30 years+

Why this matters

We know farming is not just a job – it’s a way of life. But that doesn’t mean it should come at the cost of farmers’ health, family, or future.

This #Farm24, let’s go beyond celebration and into solidarity. Let’s read these words. Share them. Sit with them. Let’s work to create a food system where farmers aren't just surviving.

Read all the responses here